Apparatus for cleaning the fire tubes of multitubular boilers and the like



March 6, 1928. 1,661,890

' c. B. GARDNER APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FIRE TUBES OF MULTITUBULARBOILERS AND THE LIKE Filed April 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar.6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BRUCE GARDNER, or srnnronn, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FIRE TUBES OF MULTITUIBULAR BOILERS AlNDjTHELIKE.

Application filed April 8, 1327,,Seria1 no. 182,1 14, and ln GreatBritain March 10, 1926."

This invention relates to tliat' class of apparatus particularly adaptedfor cleaning tie the tubes of a multi-tubular boiler, alt roughapplicable also for use with air heat crs and some forms otteed waterheaters, which apparatus is characterized by single nozzles or dischargeopenings corresponding in number to the fire or equivalent tubes to becleaned, and arranged coaxially therewith, by which means all the tubescan be treated without anything more than establishing the supply ofblowing fluid.

Ordinarily with apparatus of this particular class, the flow of hotgases to the fire tubes is unduly interfered with if an adequate flow ofblowing fluid is provided and the object of the invention, which is toovercome this disadvantage, is achieved by employing blow-pipes fromwhich the nozzles extend, arranged in two rows and relatively staggered,at distances sufficient to provide space for the ready flow of hot gasesto or from theboiler tubes.

In order to keep the amount of fluid under pressure being used at anytime within moderate limits, and also so as not unduly to interfere in.a boiler, with the heating of the boiler by hot gases passing throughits fire tubes, the nozzles corresponding to the tire tubes are dividedup into separate groups to whichfiuid under pressure can be supplied insuccession through two or more conduits provided with controlling means,so that groups of fire tubes opposite the groups of nozzles can becleaned in succession.

The tube cleaning apparatus is arranged in position with regard to oneend of the tubes to assure its being in exact position with the nozzlesproperly disposed in relation to the ends of the boiler tubes.

Apparatus according to the invention can be variously constructed, aswill be understood from the further description of the invention nowabout to be given with the aid of the accompanying drawings whereinFigs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of one form or arrangement ofheating plant or boiler taken at right angles to each other, only a fewof the blow-pipes being represented; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the nozzles which are preferablyequal in numher to the boiler tubes 2 and which, as in the arrangementshown in the drawings, may be short and carried by blow-pipes 4 fixed tothe side or bottom of a box or header 3, so that fluid under pressurecan flow through all the nozzles simultaneously. In the presentinstance, the box or header 3 is shown in two sections divided intochambers 3, eachprovided with a valvecontrolled fluid inlet p1pe such as5, so that the nozzles, or blow-pipes and nozzles may be divided OH? orseparated into groups to which fluid under pressure can be supplied insuccession. In Fig. 2, valves 4 are shownfitted to each of the pipes lwhereby admission of fluid to each vertical line of blowing nozzles 1can be controlled toward and from the tubes by making appropriateconstructional modifica 'lhe nozzles 1 carried by blow-pipes tions. atare so designed as to prevent their undue interference with the flowofhot gases to the lire tubes and for such purpose said'blowpipes arearranged in two rows relatively. staggered, those further from theboiler tubes being'provided with longer nozzles than the others, so thatthe eXit ends of all the nozzles shall terminate in the same plane;

It preferred, all of the blow-pipesmay be provided with relatively longnozzles of somewhat smaller cross-section than represented.

In Fig. 1 some of the blow-pipes I hav been omitted for the purpose ofclearer disclosure, but the number of such pipes is ink tended to beequal to the number of vertical rows of tire tubes, less the. twooutermost rows, each blow-pipe beingprovided with a series of nozzles 1equal in number to the number of fire tubes in each row thereof exceptthe outermost pair of blow pipes, which in this instance are providedwith additional nozzles 1 for dealing with the'rows 0t fire tubes forwhich no blow pipes are provided. These blow-pipes l are shown dependingfrom a header 8 shown insections, the,lat ter being supported outsidethe chamber 6 in which the blow-pipes with the nozzles are arranged'l'oruse. When arranged in groups in different parallel vertical planes,these blow-pipes maybe connected to dilterent lhe apparatus may beplaced either at the inlet or outlet end of the boiler tubes. \Vhen thetemperature of the gases entering the boiler tubes is sufficiently low,it is generally preferable to arrange the apparatus at the inlet end ofthe boiler tubes, but where. the temperature is so high that it wouldcause injury to the apparatus or to parts hereof, it is preferable toarrange the appa atus at the outlet end of the boiler tubes. In thelatter ease,if the pressure ofthe cleaning fluid at the nozzles issutficiently high, the jets of fluid will clean theboiler tubes, orgroups of tubes against the draught of the boiler,

' which in the meantime, may or may .not be emporarily reduced orstopped.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising ahorizontal header having a fluid inlet, a series of blow pipes dependingfrom the header in two rows, the pipes in one row beingstaggercd inrelation to the pipes of the other row, and a. series of nozzlesprojecting horizontally from each blow pipe, the nozzles ofone row ofpipesbeing longer than the nozzles of the other row of pipes andextending between the pipes of the last mentioiied row, with allthenoz'zles terminating in a common plane.

2, i .n apparatus of the class described, comprising a horizontal headerhaving a fluid inlet, a series of blow pipes depending from the headerin two rows, the pipes in one row being staggered in relation to thepipes of the other row, a series of nozzles projecting horizontally fromeach blow pipe, the nozzles of one row of pipes being longer than thenozzles of the other row of pipes and extending between the pipes of thelast mentioned row, with all the nozzles terminating in a common plane,and a series of valves in said header, each of said valves being adaptedto control a blow pipe.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination with anest of tubes, a horizontal header having a fluid inlet, a series ofblow pipes depending from the header in two rows with the pipes in onerow staggered in relation to the pipes in the other row, a series ofnozzles projecting horizontally from each blow pipe. the nozzles of thepipes in one row being longer than the nozzles of the pipes in the otherrow and extended between the pipes of the last incutioncd row so thatall the nozzles terminate in a common plane, said nozzles being eoaxialwith the tubes of the nest of tubes, and a series of valves in saidheader, each of said valves being adapted to control a blow pipe.

4. An app: 'atus of the class tltsclllu-tl. comprising in combinationwith a nest of tubes, a chamber with which said tubes coniinuni ate, ahorizontal header having a fluid inlet, a series of cleaning fluid pipesconnected with and depending from the header into said chamberadjacentsaid tube ends in two rows with the pipes in one row staggoredin relation to the pipes in the other row, and a series of nozzlesprojecting horizontally from each blow-pipe in coaxial alincnient withthe tubes of the nest.

Signed at St()lte-on-'l'1'ent, England, this twenty-second day of March,19:27.

CHARLES B RUCE G A RDN ER.

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